Man Arrested on Murder Charges After He Killed Man Over D**k Pic Sent to Woman

BY: ABQ RAW staff

POSTED: 08/30/2023 @ 9:30AM

Isaich Lujan, of Albuquerque

Albuquerque -

After nearly a four month manhunt for a murder suspect that involved a few SWAT call outs and hours of detective work, police have finally apprehended Isaich Lujan for murder on August 29th, 2023.

Lujan is accused of the April 15, 2023, murder of Nathan Barela at the Comanche Wells Apartments, located at 3400 Comanche Rd., N.E. Detectives accused Lujan of

fatally shooting Barela, who sent an “inappropriate” text message to a woman Lujan was dating at the time. According to the criminal complaint, the "inappropriate" message was a penis photograph sent to a woman, and it appeared that the woman was dating multiple men at the time.

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Investigators look inside an SUV where Nathan Barela was murdered on April 15th, 2023.

Officers and detectives learned from Lujan’s girlfriend that she received an “inappropriate” picture from Barela, someone she previously knew. The picture was texted while the girlfriend was with Lujan. Lujan used her phone to send text messages back to Barela, who tricked Barela by indicating he was on his way to the apartment complex.

The woman met with Barela and got into his vehicle in the parking lot of the apartment complex. After a few minutes, Lujan approached the vehicle from the passenger’s side reached through the half-open window, and fired a handgun, striking Barela who was in the driver’s seat.

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Footage from the scene can be found HERE:

Detectives recovered a bullet casing that matches the caliber of firearm the woman said Lujan used.

Lujan was booked into the Metro Detention Center on a warrant for an open count of murder and tampering with evidence.